Values Go to School: Exploring Ethics with Children documents how values emerge and take shape in the school context, and how teachers can encourage children’s understanding and expression of the ethical questions that permeate our everyday lives. In classroom scenes from kindergarten through high school, Values Go to School focuses on students interacting with teachers, and with each other, to work through issues of conflict resolution, friendship, ethnic identity, racial and cultural understanding, the importance of work, and the role of open discourse in achieving a sense of community.

The film encourages exploration of the intersection between ethical issues and classroom life, including questions such as:

What is the value of open discourse in the school community, and how can it be promoted?

How can strong partnerships around values be forged between families and educators?

How can conflicts in the classroom be productively and respectfully resolved?

How do children learn from the relationships modeled by the teachers, students, administrators, families, and community members around them?

How can we harness the power and promise of education as an instrument of democracy, social justice, and change?